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Archive for November, 2018

If You Were Busy

My husband’s great-grandmother, Laura Foster, was an amazing woman. She lived 98 years. She remembered the day her mother cried because Abraham Lincoln was shot.

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Great-Grandma Laura Foster was a talented, always busy woman who spoiled her great-grandchildren with a consistently tempting, freshly stocked cookie jar. She shared her talents generously, appreciated, collected, and wrote inspiring poetry, and created beautiful hooked rugs, one for each great-grandchild.

I just discovered one of Laura Foster’s favorite poems this week while going through some old family scrapbooks and albums. Let me share a poem with you that she copied into her scrapbook.

If You Were Busy

If you were busy being kind,
Before you knew it, you would find
You’d soon forget to think t’was true
That somebody was unkind to you.

If you were busy being glad,
And cheering people who were sad,
Although your heart might ache a bit,
You’d soon forget to notice it.

If you were busy being good,
And doing just the best you could,
You’d not have time to blame some man
Who’s doing just the best he can.

If you were busy being true
To what you know you ought to do,
You’d be so busy you’d forget
The blunders of the folks you’ve met.

If you were busy doing right,
You’d find yourself too busy quite
To criticize your neighbor long
Because he’s busy being wrong.

R. Foreman, poet

 

Let me add a stanza of my own – in tribute to Great-Grandma Foster:

If you were busy being wise,
You’d see the world through kinder eyes.
With a heart of love, you’d live to share
Your blessings with folks everywhere.

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Laura Foster certainly shared hers.
Are you busy sharing your blessings, too?

Live Well, Live Wisely

LIVE WELL, LIVE WISELY

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There’s something to be said for staying hungry!

But, is that foolishness? Is it living well? Living wisely?

Well, it depends upon what you are hungry FOR!

To live wisely and well, I find I must remain hungry for soul food!

 

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Yes, the kind of soul food you find in the healthy section of a grocery store helps, but that’s not all!

 

It’s not the kind of soul food you find deep fried …

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The soul food for which I hunger is found in the soul-finder, the heart stimulant, the words of Scripture.

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My go-to Bible is The Message, by Eugene H. Peterson. This brilliant theologian recently died (like within the month)… what a loss! His translated words of the Bible speak to me. I hunger for the messages translated into everyday English – helping me learn ways to live well, and live wisely. Here is a perfect example:

James 3:13-18

“Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live; not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom – it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.

Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.”

 

Live well. Live Wisely.

I ask myself:

Is your life an open book?
Can anyone open the pages and take a look?
Are there hidden pockets tucked inside?
Times you’ve cheated, fudged, or lied?

Is there mean-spirited ambition
Hidden in the corners of your heart?
Do you claw your way to the top
Instead of helping others get a start?

Do you ever boast and boost yourself,
Trying to look smarter than you are?
Are you hot one day and cold the next,
Playing the golf of life well over par?

Do you sow discontent or seeds of envy
By flaunting talents, putting others down?
Or are you humble, discreet and honest?
Do you cause a smile instead of a frown?

Living well includes treating yourself
With honor and true respect,
Giving others the credit they deserve, and
Sharing with love more than they expect.

Do you see a neighbor in dire need?
Do you step up to lend a hand?
Part of living wisely and living well
Is finding the gold nuggets in the sand.

Search for beauty among the ugly.
Look beyond the outer shell.
Share your heart and soul with abandon…
Then you’ll know you’re living well.

 

Are you living well and wisely?

Loss, Lament & Loyalty

Loss, Lament, and Loyalty

 

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Sermon Notes by Jan Beekman
from the sermon today
based on the scripture – Mark 12:38-44 –
Preached by Rev. Jean Johnson
at the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church
in Ennis, Montana

 

Naomi’s son had died.
She was alone and old.
Her future was grim.
What had she been told?

 

“Deal with your losses –
Send your daughters-in-law
Back to their homes.”
But, the plan had a flaw.

 

Ruth did not want to return!
She told Naomi she’d stay.
Orpha decided to go back.
Each woman to her own way.

 

We each have a choice.
We think we’re paralyzed, but we’re not.
We may lack energy and will power;
We may feel in our losses, we’re caught.

 

Ruth knew she couldn’t run
From the pain life threw at her.
She chose to stay and face her life,
And be in a place she could matter.

 

To turn evil into something good,
She was loyal to her mother-in-law.
She broke ties with her past
And looked ahead at what she saw.

 

She saw through eyes of faith.
Naomi had taught her to use God’s eyes –
Do more than just endure;
Keep your faith and be kind and wise.

 

To endure the evil of today’s world,
Cling to one another in love –
And look out for those in need.
Use your discerning power from God above.

 

Amen?

Z = Zestiness

Day #26 of my A – Z series, “What Makes Me Happy?”

ZESTINESS

When life is full of zest,

Filled with gusto, liveliness and charm,

Your get-up-and-go keeps sprinting,

You own a zest-filled farm!

Your happiness factor explodes!

Your animated spirit dances, and DANG,

You’re contagious! Your zesty zeal

Infects all who are touched by your tang.

Do you need a new, effective zester?

Is your spice rack running low?

Start an A-Z happiness list today

And watch your zestiness grow!

 

What is your Z word that makes you happy?

Thirsting

Duo-Haiku – pondering today’s thoughts

 

THIRSTING

HeartStrings

I am thirsting for

Some unconditional love

Where can I find it?

Pull at my heart strings

It’s right there inside of me

Don’t keep it tied up.

X = Xander

Day #24 in my A-Z series of “What Makes Me Happy?”

 

XANDER

 

Xander-GG playing

He lives five minutes

Away from us in Ennis

I see him seldom

My heart aches for the happiness my great-grandson, Xander, brings into my life. I want to see him regularly, to be a positive influence on his life. But, it’s not my call. I can’t force it. All I can do is pray my granddaughter will see the light, accept my invitations, and bring him here more often (every six weeks or so just doesn’t do it). Keep my heart open. Keep inviting. Keep praying.

 

Join me in that prayer, will you?

 

You can see that Xander makes me happy.

 

Bob, my hubby, said, “X-ing.” Crossing is better than stagnation, he reasoned. “Keep moving forward in life,” he advised. Yes, wise forward X-ING brings happiness.

What’s your “X” word for happiness?

I’ve Been Thinking

Life is fragile!

On this day when another mass shooting occurred,
and 12 people were innocently shot down
in Thousand Oaks, CA,
we need this book,
“I’ve Been Thinking” by Maria Shriver.

A friend of mine, Gloria Wilson, shared a few pages from it on FaceBook.

The prayer below is one that resonated with me.
I hope it speaks to you,, too.

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I am grateful for my faith
which helps me know for sure,
my future is in God’s hands.

God help us as a nation… as a world.

Help us to JUST LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

W = Water or Winning?

Day # 23 in my A – Z series on “What Makes Me Happy?”

WINNING

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This election week

Winning isn’t everything

Though it may seem so

What “W” word makes me happy?
You may be thinking winning
Is a natural choice, but it’s not.
Not if winning means isolation and sinning.

Not if building a fortress
To keep others out
Is the winning ticket
To show what we’re about.

WATER

I want to wash the deceit and greed
Out of this world of mine.
We need some soap and water
To help our spirits shine.

I need to share clear and pure water
With friends both near and far.
Fresh water makes me happy.
Come, fill your empty jar.

 

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Just love one another!!

Y = Youthfulness

Day #25 in the A-Z series of “What Makes Me Happy?”

YOUTHFULNESS

My time on earth is

Measured by experience

And development

I maintain an attitude of positivity and youthfulness.

The zeal of youth makes me happy.

My spirit is ageless.

How about you?

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My husband said, “Indecision.”

I said, “That’s not a Y, that’s an I.”

He said, “But it’s a Y in the road.  You have indecision.

You don’t know which way to go.

It doesn’t make me happy, but it makes me think.

Thinking/ pondering/weighing odds – those make me happy…

Because it’s nice to have choices.”

 

Hmmm, creative thinking, don’t you think?

 

What “Y” word makes you happy?

V = Vacations

Day #22 of my A – Z series of “What Makes Me Happy?”

 

VACATIONS

Time off from routines

And a change of scenery

Are good for the soul

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And for the body!

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A change of menu

Foods that taste and look different

Good for the spirit

New places to climb

To take routine off your mind

Are good for the heart

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Family and friends
Sharing stories and good wine
Make life much more fine

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Vacations mean fun
With our son and daughter, too
What is fun for you?

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I love my bloggers
Who take a break to come read
You encourage me

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Vacations are great

They make me happy, and yet

There’s no place like home.

What’s the”V” word that makes you happy?

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(Victory for courageous women…. that was my hubby’s answer!)